Events

Gp. Capt. (Dr.) Rajiv Kumar Narang (Retd.), Senior Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), made a presentation on “Understanding China and Pakistan ’s UAV Capabilities” at the Monday Morning Meeting held on 18 March 2024. The session was moderated by Col. (Dr.) Rajneesh Singh (Retd.), Research Fellow, MP-IDSA. The scholars of MP-IDSA attended the meeting.

Executive Summary

The presentation provided a comprehensive overview of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) programs of both China and Pakistan, spanning from their inception to their current known status. It underscored Pakistan’s collaboration with China and Turkey in advancing this technology and its implications for India.It also delved into questions such as why China is emerging as a UAV power and also contemplated on India ’s UAV projects.

Detailed Report

Col. Rajneesh Singh, in his opening remarks, emphasised that the concept of UAVs is not new and has existed for a considerable period. He noted historical instances such as the use of drones for target practices during World War II and unmanned helicopters during the Cold War. Furthermore, he highlighted the democratization of drone development, previously dominated by the US and Israel, which has now become widespread and is operationalised in various conflicts globally. Drones are also increasingly being used by non-state actors for various purposes.

Gp. Capt. Narang shared a brief anecdote of how he was introduced to Pakistan's UAV development programme in 2015 and his follow up research on evolution of Pakistan’s UAV industry from late 1990s. Regarding China, he discussed the role of the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) that was established in 1951 as the Bureau of Aviation Industry and renamed AVIC in 2006. Other notable institutions in China ’s UAV landscape include Guizhou Aviation Industry Import/Export Corp (GZAIEC), Xi'an ASN Technology Group Co. Ltd., China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), and China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

China’s drone program commenced with the reverse engineering of Russian La-70 target drone that was undertaken at Weapons Test and Training Base in early 1960s by a team led by Gen. Zhao Xu of Peoples’ Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF)’. The Cai Hong-3 (CH-3), an armed UAV manufactured by CASC, was initially showcased in 2008. Subsequently, the CH-4 took its maiden flight in 2011. Notably, the CH-5 (MQ-9 Reaper Class) having a payload capacity of 1200 kilograms made its first flight in 2017. WJ-600, a jet-powered UAV manufactured by CASIC, was first displayed at an airshow in 2010.

Gp. Capt. Narang further elucidated how China ’s UAV R&D followed a trajectory marked by setbacks and extended development timelines. He also emphasized the significant role played by research universities in China, such as Nanjing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics (NUAA), Shenyang Aerospace University (SAU), and Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA).

In China, several indigenous UAV programs feature locally developed engines, and there have been efforts to develop supersonic UAVs as well. China is also actively working on miniaturisation of weapons and sensors for UAVs. Furthermore, China has a UAV swarm programme, which included few world record quadcopter UAV swarm displays since 2018. China has exported UAVs to countries like Nigeria, Egypt, Pakistan, Iraq, Jordan, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. Notably, in March 2017, China made an investment of USD 65 billion for establishing the CH-4 UAV manufacturing facility in Saudi Arabia.

Turning to Pakistan, he observed that Pakistan has an established UAV development programme. Its UAV program is a collaborative endeavor involving both Public Sector Units (PSUs) and the Private Sector. The public sector entity, Global Industrial and Defense Solutions (GIDS) played a significant role in developing UAVs such as Uqab, Shahpar, and Huma. The private sector companies like East West Infinity (Pvt) Ltd. and Integrated Dynamics made significant contribution in UAV development. Integrated Dynamics, has exported small civil UAVs to Australia, Spain, South Korea, Libya, and United States border guards since 2006. Pakistan also forged partnerships with countries like Turkey and China to manufacture UAVs.

Moving forward, Gp. Capt. Narang pondered why China is emerging as a UAV power. He observed that the innovation friendly structure of its military, which fosters a scholar warrior culture that supports technological development seems to be one of the major contributors to the growth if its domestic UAV industry. The other technology development friendly initiatives of the People ’s Liberation Army (PLA) include its officers pursuing advanced degrees, establishing a post-doctoral forum on defense technology and PLA personnel leading the technology development projects. He remarked that China ’s and Pakistan ’s UAV programs and collaboration between China, Turkey, and Pakistan on UAVs increases India ’s security and border management challenges.

He also provided a brief overview of India's UAV programs and the challenges they encounter. He discussed challenges leading to closure of India’s UAV programs in the past and uncertainties faced by ongoing UAV development programs. Furthermore, he highlighted how the import of critical components create vulnerabilities and dependencies and how the integration of UAVs remains a challenge.

Questions and Comments

The talk was followed by a Q&A session. Before opening the floor for questions, Col. Singh emphasised that no technology in the world is developed without encountering failure along the way. In response to the question regarding whether Indian UAV programs feature indigenous engines, Gp. Capt. Narang stated that while India has imported engines like Rotax, it possesses the capability to develop indigenous engines. He also stressed the importance of balancing exports and imports, noting that importing numerous systems can incur significant costs.

He emphasised the need for creating consciousness about the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) protection, which has been a weak area. In response to the question about the availability of counter-drone systems in India, he made special mention of contribution of iDEX in developing indigenous solutions. However, he noted that follow up on iDEX initiatives are needed to develop more capable counter drone systems to counter the threat posed by sophisticated drones, especially swarm drones He discussed limitations of Transfer of Technology (TOT) and advocated development of indigenous critical systems.

He also pointed out that indigenously designed, developed and manufactured (IDDM) components are not likely to become commercially viable or cost competitive vis-a-vis global suppliers without supportive IDDM procurement policies. Indian private sector companies have predominantly focused on development of small UAVs. While responding to a question on how Pakistani and Chinese observers view Indian capabilities, he opined that Pakistani observers diligently examine India ’s UAV programmes and Chinese observers tend to downplay Indian capabilities. In his concluding remarks, he said that even though India has the ability to develop UAVs, it has struggled to transform indigenously developed UAVs into operational UAVs due to variables like delays and inconsistencies in allocation and release of  funds, administrative delays, challenges in obtaining timely approvals,  hesitancy in introducing course corrections etc.

Report was prepared by Mr. Rohit K. Sharma, Research Analyst, Strategic Technologies Centre, MP-IDSA.

Mr. Om Prakash Das, Research Fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, made a presentation on “Myanmar at Crossroads: Three Years of Coup and Civil War” at the Monday Morning Meeting held on 26 February 2024. The session was moderated by Cmde. Abhay Kumar Singh (Retd.), Research Fellow, MP-IDSA. Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General, MP-IDSA and the scholars of MP-IDSA attended the meeting.

Executive Summary

As the junta regime completes three years in power since the 2021 coup d’état, Myanmar finds itself embroiled in an increasingly destructive civil war. Although armed resistance has taken shape over the years, the country has experienced a significant surge in violence since October 2023. An unprecedented level of strategic coordination between several armed groups has won the rebels 35 towns since the launch of Operation 1027. The position of the junta becomes increasingly tenuous as the Myanmar military incurs loss of troops and territories. The enforcement of the People’s Military Service Law has led to further chaos among the general populace. Large-scale displacement and pervasive violence have precipitated a humanitarian crisis in Myanmar. Influx of civilians and defectors across the porous India-Myanmar border has necessitated a discussion on the future of the Free Movement Regime.

Detailed Report

The session commenced with opening remarks by Cmde. Abhay Kumar Singh (Retd.). Cmde. Singh provided an overview of the current crisis in Myanmar. Myanmar has been in a state of civil war since the overthrow of the civilian government by the Tatmadaw in 2021. Cmde. Abhay acknowledged 27 October 2023 as an inflection point in the democratic struggle of Myanmar. He observed that while the periphery of Myanmar has always been unstable, the core Bamar region is also beginning to see violence. The spread of violence across large swathes of the country has caused massive loss of human lives on both sides of the conflict.

Mr. Om Prakash Das commenced his presentation with a couple of maps aimed at geographically locating Myanmar within the broader region, as well as visualising the 7 politico-administrative divisions and the ethnic composition of the country. Among the 8 major ethnic groups of Myanmar, Bamar are the largest and most dominant ethnolinguistic community. A map visualising the spread of conflict across the country was also presented. The complex nature of territorial control and integrity in Myanmar is demonstrated by the fact that 40-50 percent of the country is currently controlled by various ethnic communities.

Having rejected the legitimacy of National League for Democracy’s victory in the 2020 general elections, the Burmese military launched a coup d'état less than three months later. The military takeover has since been met with widespread civilian and armed resistance, as well as international condemnation. An estimated 6000 civilian deaths have occurred within the initial 20 months of the coup. Latest reports indicate the detention of more than 26,000 Burmese nationals as political prisoners since the military coup. Burmese resistance at the highest level has taken an organised political form through the establishment of the National Unity Government- Myanmar’s government in exile. The NUG coordinates with the People’s Defence Forces (PDF)- an umbrella term for the various local militias that have emerged since the coup.

Mr. Das noted Operation 1027, an offensive against the junta in the northern Shan state, as a milestone in the anti-Tatmadaw resistance. Operation 1027 is a coordinated armed rebellion by the Three Brotherhood Alliance (3BHA), comprising of the Arakan Army (AA), the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). 3BHA’s initial areas of influence were limited to Myanmar’s borders with India, China, and Bangladesh. The Arakan Army has a strong hold over the peripheral state of Rakhine. Several other Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAO) throughout the country have engaged the military in combat since October 2023. The Karenni Nationalities Defence Forces (KNDF) in the Kayah state, for example, launched Operation 1111 in November 2023. An unprecedented level of coordinated military strategy by the hitherto disparate factions has yielded significant victories for the rebels across two-thirds of the country.  Conversely, defeats at the hands of the armed rebels have led to low morale and weakened unit cohesion among the military troops. Over 14000 soldiers of the Myanmar army have defected since the 2021 coup. 4000 soldiers have reneged since the launch of Operation 1027 alone.

There also exists the case of an unfolding humanitarian crisis. The United Nations figures indicate the displacement of close to 2.6 million people within Myanmar. The civil war has also triggered the emigration of over 8 lakh Burmese nationals. Around 60,000 Burmese nationals are estimated to have taken refuge in India.

The junta government is currently contending with escalating casualties and defections amidst an unpopular war, compelling it to contemplate contentious measures such as mandatory military service to address manpower shortages. However, this initiative entails significant political risks, as evidenced by incidents of backlash among young adults in response to enforced mandatory military service. In this scenario, Mr. Das states that the throne of junta is shaking, as the periphery and southern regions are virtually out of control of the military.

The military strongly believes in a unique national narrative of its crucial guardian role. It employs both ideological loyalty and financial incentives to maintain the dedication of its officers. There had been no significant internal dissent that threatens the stability of Myanmar military until the 2021 coup.

Mr. Das also discussed the contradictions within the anti-junta forces. Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) and PDFs have different visions for the future of Myanmar and could face challenges in power-sharing and moderating their respective ideological positions.

After the coup, all the democratic forces came together and tried to structure their aspirations – including ethnic minorities. They published a new Federal Democracy Charter the main objective of which was the removal of the military dictatorship and abolishment of the 2008 constitution which gave the military a political role in the parliament. This charter deals with the questions about how certain issues need to be approached and highlights legal and political considerations to support interim institutions' constitution-building efforts.

Reflecting on India-Myanmar relations, Mr. Das emphasised on the fact that Myanmar has been an important country for India’s Look East, Act East and Neighbourhood First policies. He highlighted that Myanmar is an important member of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, and that Myanmar is India’s gateway to South-East Asia.

He highlighted India’s investments in various infrastructure projects, including the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project that provides an alternative route to the significantly important Siliguri Corridor. Due to the civil war, the area from Sittwe to Paletwa (that falls in the Rakhine state) has now been captured by the Arakan Army. And the area between Paletwa to Mizoram border falls under the Chin State, and thus the project has reached a state of stalemate.

India has displayed a balanced approach towards Myanmar’s junta and to the pro-democratic movement, while officially advocating for the restoration of democracy in the country. India has also engaged with the junta, while creating a delicate balance between supporting democracy while maintaining pragmatic ties with the Junta to secure interest.

Concerning China’s role in Myanmar, Mr. Das said that, the latter is important for China to improve its strategic presence in the Indian Ocean and for China’s long-term Blue Ocean objective. Myanmar also serves as a trading outlet to the Indian Ocean for China’s inland province of Sichuan.

The speaker concluded by saying that the probability of the junta regaining its lost territories is very low. The junta, now in a defensive position, is trying to protect the supply routes. Although international actors may push for a negotiated reset, the democratic forces have shown inclination towards negotiating with the military.

Questions and Comments

Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General MP-IDSA, complimented Mr. Om Prakash Das for his presentation on a topical issue. He remarked that the international community has long had great expectations of Myanmar. Aung San Suu Kyi had moved the country towards greater democratic impulses, the United States wanted to normalise relations, and there existed interest in Myanmar’s economy. The air of optimism lasted five to seven years before the country descended into cyclical chaos. Amb. Chinoy identified two facets to the internal instability: The Junta’s difficulty in pacifying the periphery, and the pervasiveness of the PDFs that are engaged in action and counter-action against the junta. China has long had interests across the border. Amb. Chinoy opined that any kind of land connectivity, within the Kaladan multi modal project, is difficult to attain because of the sectional progress and changing situation on ground. He suggested that there may be merit in bypassing Myanmar through maritime routes if the land corridor is deemed infeasible in the finite future. According to Amb. Chinoy, hardening of borders in the last mile areas should be a priority. Identifying the different types of transgressions across the India-Myanmar border, he argued for centre-state government convergence on the future of the Free Movement Regime (FMR).  Amb. Chinoy invited Dr. Pushpita Das to shed some more light on the FMR and the challenges of fencing the border.

The MP-IDSA scholars posed a wide array of questions ranging from the cultural linkages between India and Myanmar to whether the growing unrest in Myanmar would have a bearing on separatist movements in Northeast India. Reference was made to the displacement of Rohingyas. The prospect of an outreach to the local ethnic groups, similar to the Chinese policy, was also discussed.Mr. Om Prakash Das provided insightful answers to the questions and comments raised by the Director General and the MP-IDSA scholars.

Report prepared by Ms. Aditi Dhaundiyal, Intern, Southeast Asia and Oceania Centre, MP-IDSA.

Dr. Smruti Pattanaik, Research Fellow, South Asia Centre delivered a presentation on “Election and Opposition Politics in Bangladesh” in the weekly Monday Morning Meeting held on 12 February 2024. The meeting was moderated by Dr. Gulbin Sultana, Associate Fellow, South Asia Centre. Scholars of the Institute attended the event.

Executive Summary

The 12th General Parliamentary Election was held in Bangladesh on 7 January 2024. The Awami League has won elections consecutively for the fourth time since 2008 by winning 222 seats in the National Assembly. The current opposition party, the Jatiya Party managed to secure 11 seats. The main opposition party, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) boycotted the elections. The BNP has taken a position that there cannot be free and fair election under the incumbent Election Commission of Bangladesh. In this election, voter turnout was about 40 per cent which was considerably low compared to the past elections.

Detailed Report

In her opening remarks, Dr. Gulbin Sultana offered a brief overview of Bangladesh Parliamentary Elections and politics of Bangladesh.

Dr. Smruti Pattanaik started the presentation by elaborating the facts and figures of the 12th Parliamentary Election and opposition politics. She said that the Awami League led by Sheikh Hasina has won the elections consecutively for the fourth time and out of 300 seats they won 222 seats in this election. 28 registered political parties participated in this election, and nearly 2000 candidates contested. Out of 437 independent candidates 382 were from Awami League, and many would believe that they were propped up as dummy candidates to give a semblance of competition. BNP boycotted this election by saying that free and fair election was not possible under the present Election Commission. In 2018, the BNP had contested the election and managed to win only 7 seats. The BNP put forward two preconditions for its participation - resignation of Sheikh Hasina and establishment of a caretaker government.

Further, Dr. Pattanaik said that the two principal political parties, Awami League and BNP, had equal vote share in the past and in Bangladesh, all anti-Awami League forces veer towards the BNP as an alternative. The BNP depended on the Western countries to pressurise the Awami League. It did not have cadres motivated enough to engage in street fights with the ruling party cadres and therefore, the BNP’s stance that it would not allow the election to happen remained merely on paper. After the rally on 28th November 2023 and subsequent violence many of the top BNP leaders were arrested and many went into hiding. BNP cadres were demoralised as there was no one to lead them from the front. BNP did not make any attempt to engage with India as they had done prior to 2018 elections, according to Ms. Pattanaik.  

The Jamaat-e-Islami, an influential religious party in Bangladesh, also decided not to participate in this election. It had participated in the 2018 election as part of the broader alliance of opposition led by the BNP. Jamaat-e-Islami has been deregistered as a party in Bangladesh because its constitution militates against the Constitution of the country which is secular. However, JeI is not in a hurry to capture political power as they are interested in Islamisation of the society at large.

Dr. Pattanaik also discussed India's relations with Bangladesh. During the G20 summit, India facilitated the meeting between the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Biden. Those groups who are opposed to Hasina in Bangladesh carried out an ‘India Out’ campaign in the social media. However, this campaign did not get traction as majority of the essential goods are imported from India. She attributed the growing anti-Indianism to the prevailing perception in Bangladesh that India is responsible for Hasina’s continuation in power in Bangladesh.

She also held that the ruling Awami League had empowered the paramilitary force of Bangladesh, the Ansar Bahini, giving it power to arrest and detain prior to the election. The US had imposed visa restriction on anyone – individual and entities – who were seen as obstructing free and fair election in Bangladesh.

Questions and Comments

After the presentation ended, the moderator opened the floor for questions and comments. There was a question about whether Bangladesh’s policies facilitated collaboration between the private industries of the two countries. There was also a question on the role of China and how the people in Bangladesh perceived its role and the relationship between the political parties and China. Another question from the floor was on how long Awami League could endure in power and if there was any possibility of Awami League toning down its anti-BNP stance. There was also a query about the people of Bangladesh’s  views about the role of Japan, Russia, US and South Korea. Dr. Pattanaik responded to the comments and questions raised by the scholars of MP-IDSA.

Report prepared by Mr. Shailendra, Intern, South Asia Centre, MP-IDSA.

A five-member delegation from Russian academia and universities dealing with projects related to the Arctic and International Studies in Petrozavodsk, St. Petersburg and Murmansk visited MP-IDSA on 7 February 2024 for an interaction with scholars at the Institute on the theme ‘Prospects of India-Russia Cooperation in the Arctic’. The Russian delegation included Dr. Anton S. Kovshov, Director and Ms. Ekaterina V. Serova, Deputy Director, the Arctic Center, Petrozavodsk State University, Petrozavodsk. Dr. Mikhail V. Vasyokha, Head of the Department of Marine Oil and Gas Engineering and Dr. Zhanna V. Vasilyeva, Head of the Department of Ecology and Technosphere Safety, were from Murmansk Arctic University, Murmansk. The fifth member of the delegation was Dr. Kirill A. Likhachev, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and History of International Relations, School of International Relations, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. The interaction was chaired by Ambassador Sujan R. Chinoy, Director General, MP-IDSA, New Delhi.

Detailed Report

In his opening remarks, the Director General, Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy formally welcomed the Russian Delegation to MP-IDSA. He highlighted the strengths of India-Russia bilateral relations and acknowledged that there exists strong cooperation between the two countries despite global geopolitical uncertainties. DG mentioned that the bilateral trade between India and Russia has surpassed the US$50 billion mark in 2023. He emphasised that these high trade figures are mainly a result of India’s increased imports of Russian hydrocarbons and there is a need to diversify our trade to new areas. DG highlighted the emerging importance of the Arctic region from environmental, economic and strategic perspectives. He mentioned that the limited cooperation in the working groups of the Arctic Council without Russia, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of the coastal extent in the region, remains a cause of concern. DG further mentioned that India supports the development of Russia’s Northern Sea Route and its Far East regions. He highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Act Far East Policy’ and emphasised that India in 2019 allocated a US$1 billion line of credit for the development of Russia’s Far East. DG acknowledged Russia’s decision to train Indian seafarers for Polar Regions and highlighted that Indian seafarers globally contribute 10 per cent of manpower for global shipping. He mentioned that as shipping activity in the NSR develops it offers further prospects for Indian seafarers in Arctic waters. Post these opening remarks, DG welcomed the presentations from the Russian delegation.

Dr. Anton S. Kovshov, Director, Arctic Center, Petrozavodsk State University, Petrozavodsk thanked Ambassador Chinoy for inviting them all to MP-IDSA. He acknowledged all the points made by Ambassador Chinoy and emphasised the need for more people-to-people cooperation between the two countries. Dr. Anton highlighted that the Arctic presents immense opportunities for both Russia and India and at the Arctic Centre, at Petrozavodsk State University their research remains focused on understanding multiple aspects of the Arctic. Dr. Anton highlighted that their Institute conducts multiple activities on Arctic Science, geo-economics, climate change, potential resources in the Arctic and other related aspects via seminars, conferences and publications in both Russian and English language. Dr. Anton highlighted that they are interested in better understanding India’s interests in the Arctic and welcomed the future participation of scholars from MP-IDSA in these. Dr. Anton then invited his colleague Ms. Ekaterina V. Serova to elaborate further on this very aspect.

Ms. Ekaterina V. Serova, in the proceeding slides of the presentation, highlighted the geographical importance of Petrozavodsk State University in the Republic of Karelia from the Arctic perspective. Ms. Serova highlighted India-Russia's increasing annual trade figures and mentioned that the Karelia region accounts for a significant portion of this trade. She then emphasised they are further exploring opportunities for undertaking research about the Indian market to promote Russian products produced by the Arctic SMEs. Ms. Serova mentioned that India can simultaneously seek opportunities for exploring the Russian Arctic region to promote the products of Indian SMEs. Ms. Serova mentioned that their Institute focuses on undertaking research on various Arctic-related projects and she highlighted funding opportunities for Indian researchers. She mentioned that the Gorchakov Fund holds two grant competitions per year and Indian researchers could consider applying to those. Ms. Serova mentioned that their Institute, ‘The Arctic Centre’ organised two major events i.e. ‘The Arctic Business School in Karelia’ and “The Expert Seminar on Science Diplomacy in the Arctic under Global Changes’ in the past that received huge participation. Lastly, Ms. Serova highlighted their Institute's major upcoming event ‘The Arctic: Our Global Neighbourhood’, scheduled for May 2024. She welcomed Indian participation in it via physical or online mode.

Dr. Kirill A. Likhachev made the second presentation and highlighted the opportunities for Indian scholars at Saint Petersburg State University. Dr Likhachev in his presentation mentioned that Saint Petersburg State University is celebrating its 300th anniversary in 2024 whereas the School of International Relations (SIR) is marking its 30th anniversary in February 2024. Dr. Likhachev highlighted that SIR in the past has hosted significant events focusing on International Relations, particularly the South Asia region where scholars from India and different parts of the world have participated in large numbers. He also highlighted the ‘Asian Dialogue Program’ of Saint Petersburg State University and mentioned that Dr. Ashok K. Behuria and Dr. Rajorshi Roy from MP-IDSA have participated in the same. Dr. Likhachev mentioned that they are hosting the 2nd Congress of International Relations Researchers, from April 25-27, 2024 and he welcomed participation from MP-IDSA scholars. Lastly, Dr. Likhachev emphasised though that there remain some complex geopolitical challenges between India and China, there is a need to restart trilateral dialogue between Russia-India-China, at least at scholars and expert levels. He concluded his presentation by highlighting that there are many existing issues of geopolitical concern in South Asia and Russia where both Indian and Russian scholars can undertake collective research in due course.

The third and final presentation was made by Dr. Mikhail Vasekha and Dr. Zhanna Vasileva jointly. Dr. Mikhail Vasekha started his presentation by highlighting that Murmansk remains the most important port city when it comes to the Arctic. He mentioned that Murmansk plays an important role in Russia’s Arctic connectivity and the city remains engaged in mining, fish processing and marine research. Dr. Vasekha emphasised that their research at Murmansk Arctic University focuses on Marine technologies, Arctic bioresources, Environmental technologies and technosphere safety, Arctic mineral and hydrocarbon resources and offshore logistics. He also mentioned that despite geopolitical challenges, they to an extent, have continued to maintain their existing cooperation with the universities of Scandinavian countries. Apart from this, he mentioned that the Murmansk Arctic University holds Summer and Winter schools in which MP-IDSA can consider participating. Dr. Vasekha lastly gave an overview of some of the ongoing and planned projects at Murmansk Arctic University that included the Development of Arctic Logistics', the Northern Sea Route and the Expansion of the Possibilities of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). He then invited his colleague Dr. Zhanna Vasileva to give a detailed account of some of the ongoing scientific projects on the Arctic at their university.

Dr. Zhanna Vasileva highlighted that her area of research mainly focuses on studying the scientific aspects of the Arctic. She mentioned that some of their ongoing projects include ‘Monitoring and assessment of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from ships in the waters of the NSR’, ‘Assessment and forecast of the environmental impact of maritime transport and port development in the Barents Region’, ‘Low-Carbon Marine Logistics and Cross-Border Carbon Regulation in the Arctic’, ‘Development of solutions for the elimination of emergency oil spills and technologies for the restoration of natural environments in the arctic shelf’ and a project involving ‘the study of marine sediments (MS) of the arctic seas’.

In her presentation, Dr. Vasileva gave a detailed account of the various scientific methodologies that they are employing in the study of these projects. She also highlighted some of the possible results that are expected from these ongoing projects. Dr. Vasileva mentioned that they are open to collaboration and partnerships from Indian scientific communities, universities and research Institutes that are involved or interested in undertaking research in these domains. Lastly, Dr. Vasileva highlighted that the Murmansk Arctic University in collaboration with Russia’s ‘Roscosmos’ is opening a Space Information Center in 2024 at Murmansk Arctic University. She mentioned that this would be instrumental in the accumulation and processing of AIS information and Earth sensing data, for integration with additional databases on navigation (databases of ports and Administration of the Northern Sea Route) and security (the base of the Ministry of Emergency Situations) in the waters of the Northern Sea Route.

Both Dr. Mikhail Vasekha and Dr. Zhanna Vasileva made their presentations mainly in Russian Language which were simultaneously translated in English by Ms. Ekaterina V. Serova.   

Questions and Comments

The Director General, Amb. Chinoy complimented the members of the Russian delegation for their detailed presentations. He highlighted that ‘Arctic Tourism’ could become an important area for enhancing India-Russia bilateral cooperation. DG mentioned that there is immense potential in this regard where the Russian side could consider exploring opportunities in the Indian tourism industry. He mentioned that in the post-COVID pandemic recovery years, India’s outbound tourism has witnessed a significant increase.

Dr. Uttam Kumar Sinha mentioned that India, despite being a distant country, remains well-informed regarding the geopolitical and environmental transitions in the Arctic. He also highlighted that India in 2022 came up with its first Arctic Policy document that presents a detailed account of India’s interests in the region.

Dr. Rajorshi Roy highlighted that India-Russia cooperation on any aspect in the Arctic could enhance bilateral cooperation between both countries. He asked the delegation if they could elaborate a bit on ‘How the developments in the Russian Far East have contributed to more attraction of Asian states interests towards the Arctic?’ He also asked the delegation to comment on China's increasing presence in the Russian Arctic.

Dr. Swasti Rao also asked the delegation about the increasing China-Russia cooperation in the Arctic. She further asked the delegation to comment on China’s increasing role in various energy projects in the Arctic.

Dr. Jason asked the delegation about the possibilities of expanding the business of Indian Film Industry in the Russian Arctic. He highlighted that the Arctic offers perfect locations for undertaking cinematographic shoots that could open business opportunities for Indian Bollywood Industry.

Ms. Anandita asked the delegation whether the Russian side is looking for possibilities of expanding Russian businesses via SMEs to Indian markets or whether this could also be explored the other way around.

All the members of the Russian delegation gave detailed remarks to all the comments raised. The interaction ended with a formal note of thanks and an exchange of books and mementoes from both sides.

Report prepared by Mr. Bipandeep Sharma, Research Analyst, Non-Traditional Security Centre, MP-IDSA.